Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bridgetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bridgetown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,666 in Bridgetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,915 in Bridgetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,163 in Bridgetown.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 22% less than in Bridgetown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Bridgetown is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$19.68 BBD 39.36

-40.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$92.4 BBD 185

-54.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$9.05 BBD 18.09

15.03%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$5.01 BBD 10.02

-27.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.51 BBD 3.02

-3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.22 BBD 2.43

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.51 BBD 5.03

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$5.83 BBD 11.67

-20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$3.99 BBD 7.99

-64.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$2.75 BBD 5.49

-30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$3.24 BBD 6.48

-51.54%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$5.57 BBD 11.13

-52.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$9.70 BBD 19.41

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$9.21 BBD 18.42

-6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.06 BBD 20.11

9.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.91 BBD 7.81

-30.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.67 BBD 5.34

-43.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$4.64 BBD 9.28

-58.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$3.14 BBD 6.29

-30.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.89 BBD 5.78

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.36 BBD 4.73

-5.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.74 BBD 5.48

-60.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$2.08 BBD 4.16

-48.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$8.21 BBD 16.43

-49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$13.49 BBD 26.98

-23.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.60 BBD 3.19

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.98 BBD 5.96

-15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$1.80 BBD 3.60

-69.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$26.52 BBD 53.0

-0.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$17.81 BBD 35.61

-82.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.98 BBD 1.97

151.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$39.67 BBD 79.3

-91.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$2.03 BBD 4.07

-34.98%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$35.4K BBD 70.9K

-14.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$37.1K BBD 74.2K

-36.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.4 MX$1,400

$86.4 BBD 173

-5.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.41 MX$386

$58.9 BBD 118

-61.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$48.19 BBD 96.4

-37.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$70.4 BBD 141

-26.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$10.05 BBD 20.09

-48.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$202 MX$3,471

$245 BBD 490

-17.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$6,559 BBD 13.1K

-19.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$61.9 BBD 124

-42.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$63.0 BBD 126

-35.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$181 BBD 361

-56.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$127 BBD 255

-31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$600 BBD 1,199

58.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$477 BBD 954

0.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$1,806 BBD 3,612

-10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$1,330 BBD 2,659

-8.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$3,488 BBD 6,976

14.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$3,486 BBD 6,971

85.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$1,565 BBD 3,129

-56.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.85

95.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Bridgetown: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $600 in Bridgetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 133% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $92.0 in Bridgetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $368 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Bridgetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Bridgetown. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bridgetown earns 133% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $600 in Bridgetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $245 in Bridgetown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,666 in Bridgetown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bridgetown. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,294 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bridgetown are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.